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Talk:Darkness of Dragons/@comment-32709689-20170906231436
Ok: when Darkness of Dragons first came out, I didn't really like it. I thought it was a bad conclusion to the second arc, and that its resolutions to plot conflicts were weak. Now, though, I have had a chance to reread all 10 books in the main series, and I've rethought this conclusion. Here is what I came up with: The first arc was a complete package. Five books from five points-of-view that told one story. There was a level of consistency; each book started exactly where the next book left off. The text didn't go into the character's thoughts much, it mostly told the story. And the story itself was great; it started with the first book and ended with the last. It had good twists and turns, and pretty complete character arcs. It had action, adventures, and good conflict. However, there were downsides to this approach. I, for one, found it difficult to relate to any of the characters, and I didn't really like any of them either. I think that this was because the characters were used to tell the story, as some sorts of exposition machines. The didn't' feel organic or have natural thinking patterns; their minds seemed very straightforward, which was good for passing the story straight to the reader, but it didn't help much with making the characters feel likable or relatable. Really, though, I would say that it's greatness was from the incredible story, rather than its characters. The second arc was a bit different. To me, it lacked the level of consistency that the first arc had. Some of books no longer started exactly where the last one ended, where others did. And some of the books (specifically books 8 and 9) no longer were just pieces of a story; each one was a story in itself. This left Darkness of Dragons to finish off much more than 1/5 of the main plot in just 1/5 of the pages. The result; it was turned into an exposition showcase, which to me made it seem dry and rushed. However, there were upsides to this approach. While plot and consistency were not strong points of the second arc, I think that characters were. In the first arc, it seemed to me that the characters were there to tell the stor. However, in the second arc, I think the story was there to showcase the characters. See, I found the characters in the second arc to MUCH more likable and relatable than the characters in the first arc. The books went much further into each dragon's individual story and adventure. And I think that their character arcs, if less complete (Turtle), or rushed at the end (Winter, Qibli), were much richer and more meaningful. For example, Winter had a great character arc in book 7, but still needed to quickly add to it in order to have a happy ending. And Qibli was great in the first 4 books of the second arc, he just needed his full character arc to fit in the same book as half the plot; in other words, it needed to be short. To sum up my review of the second arc, though, I would say that it's greatness was from its great characters, rather than its story. All that being said, I must say that I liked reading both arcs and all of the books. I admire and respect Tui and her writing, and I hope that she would not be offended by any of the things I have written here. Below I have listed my favorite books by arc with a short description of what I think of each one. First Arc: 1. The Hidden Kingdom: a great combination of adventures, action, conflict, and witty dialogue. 2. The Brightest Night: a thrilling conclusion to the first arc, it too was packed full of adventures, and that end twist was suprising, cool, and original. 3. The Dark Secret: of all the POVs in the first arc, I liked Starflight's the most. Also, the whole story was pretty good, with the Nightwing plan and all. 4. The Lost Heir: while Tsunami's PIV was pretty good and the story was fast and somewhat engaging, not much concerning the main plot really happened. 5. The Dragonet Prophecy: it pretty much ties with The Lost Heir, but while the Skywing parts were pretty good, the beginning and the ending were a little too slow for me. Also, Clay's POV was a little boring. Second Arc: 1. Moon Rising: what a way to start an arc! Probably my favorite book in not just the second arc but whole series, this book silenced any doubts I had about a new arc with an entirely new set of characters. Well paced, with an exciting story that contributes to the plot and a brilliantly designed POV who is likable and relatable (not to mention some great suspense added in too), Moon Rising was my favorite book in the second arc. 2. Winter Turning: Winter Turning almost tied with Moon Rising, and I have to say that the two pair up very nicely. With another great story and another brilliantly designed POV who was relatable and lika- well, not likable per say, but he definitely had me rooting for him. Not to mention the plentiful adventures along the way, this book is my second favorite in not just the second arc, but the whole series. 3. Talons of Power: ok, so it didn't contribute much to the plot, but it did have a very good POV (likable and relatable) with a big, rich character arc and a fair bit of exiting conflict and adventure. The story itself was nice too. 4. Darkness of Dragons: considering what this book needed to do (there were a LOT of loose ends to tie up), it did a fair job. The Peacemaker solution wasn't great, and Qibli's character arc was small and short, but overall the book was a decent conclusion to the second arc. 5. Escaping Peril: after the spectacular debut of the second arc, this book was a heat-check. It had a fine, if slow, story, and it didn't contribute much to the plot. Peril did have a bunch of character development, but she still wasn't as likable or relatable as Turtle. Overall a fine book, but nowhere near as good as the first two books in the arc. Legends: 1. Darkstalker: obviously, since there is only one legends Darkstalker is the best. However, I'd argue that it ties with Moon Rising as best in the entire series. It had a great story, three brilliantly designed POVs who all were relatable and likable, and an exciting premise. It was also satisfyingly long, and it provided a great way to see more into how Darkstalker thinks. Overall, a great standalone book. Thanks you for reading this, and I hope you found it interesting.